posted 08-04-2014 11:33 AM
What were the Apollo 8 astronauts reading off of when they read the scripture?

I have looked through online copies of the flight plan but have never come across an actual printout of what they were looking at.

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 30714From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 08-04-2014 11:47 AM
The actual flight plan page from which the crew read is now part of the Adler Planetarium's collection, courtesy its donation by Jim Lovell. It was previously on loaned display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, as seen here.

toddmpMember

Posts: 11From: Registered: Jan 2014

posted 08-04-2014 12:06 PM
Thanks so much. I had never seen that actual page. Any better pictures or scans of that page out there? I would love to put it in a frame.

stsmithvaMember

Posts: 1537From: Fairfax, VA, USARegistered: Feb 2007

posted 08-04-2014 01:15 PM
The part of the flight plan with the scripture passage is written much differently than all the other flight plan pages I've ever seen. It's a somewhat chatty memo of suggestions written by someone specific, with lines like "I would save some of it for the second telecast", "about the only thing I can think of to match the majesty of the occasion...", and "I would close with..."

Who was that "I"?

nasamadMember

Posts: 1949From: Essex, UKRegistered: Jul 2001

posted 08-04-2014 04:49 PM
I would guess Paul Haney or someone in the NASA Public Affairs Office.

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 30714From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 08-04-2014 05:50 PM

quote:Originally posted by stsmithva:Who was that "I"?

It was journalist Joseph Laitin.

Borman had sought the assistance of another reporter, Simon Bourgin, to help him fulfill NASA public affairs' request for something to read from lunar orbit. Bourgin, in turn, recruited Laitin for ideas.

Laitin typed up his recommendation — the first verse from Genesis — and sent it on to Bourgin, who forwarded it directly to Borman. What happened next is described in "Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes" by Billy Watkins.

After a few days without hearing back, Bourgin phoned the astronaut. Bourgin recalls, "Frank said, 'Oh, I meant to call you. I just took what you sent, scissored it out, had it put on fireproof paper, and stuck it in the back of the flight plan.'"

I did hear the story of a reporter that phoned Houston to ask for a copy of what Frank read. He was ask were he was sitting? A motel he replied. The space center employee said open up the top draw of the night table, you'll find it there.